Suction cleaner



Feb. 4, 1941. c. H. TAYLOR 2,230,705

SUGTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 23, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Charles 12J/lor ATTORNEY Feb 4, 194l c. H..rAY1 oR' 2,230,705

sucTIoN CLEANER Filed Deo. 23, 1935 v 2 sheets-sheet 2 www Y Charles E Iig/*Zar `ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 1941 UNITED -'snirlis PATENT l OFFICE 2,230,705 p sUc'rioN'CLEANER Charles Il. Taylor, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio,

acorporation oi' Ohio b AapplicationDecember2a,1935, seriaiivo. 55,794 l s claims. (o1. 15-5) The present invention relates t'o suction-cleaners in. general and.v particularly to improve- Vnew and improved suction cleaner.- It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner agitator. A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a new and improved rotary agitator for a suction 16 cleaner. Still another object of the invention is to providea rotary agitator in a suction cleaner in which the horizontal component of movement of the beater element relative to the surface covering at the point of surface con.- 20 tact is eliminated. A still further object is-the provision lof a rotary agitator for a suction cleaner in whichthe frictional contact of the agitator with the surface covering is reduced. These and other more specic objects will ap-` pear upon reading the following specificationand claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings. inV which pre-l ferred embodiments of .the present invention are disclosed: 1 v Figure l is a front view of a suction cleaner embodying the present invention, with a part of the cleaner casing broken away to show an 335 agitator constructed' in accordance with the.

present invention embodied therein; v

Figure 2 is a partial longitudinal section through the agitator constructed in accordancev with Athe present invention;

Figure '3 is a section through the agitator shown in Figure '2` looking in the direction of the arrows upon the linev 3 4;

Figure 4 is a section similar toFigureB but.

55 Modern suction cleaners embody surface agitating means which cooperate with theair flow through the cleaner to remove the embedded foreign material from the surface covering undergoing" cleaning. The most effective agitating means today comprise rotary agitators pro'- 5 vided with beating elements. These agitators rotate relative to the surface covering which isV lifted .thereagainst by the suction of the cleaner. The rotationV of the elements functions to beat and vibrate the surface covering, causing em- 1i) bedded foreign material to be displaced therefrom. The rotation of the cleaner results ina sliding friction between the-` `beating elements and the surface covering at the point of-con Vor eliminated. This improvement is advantageousin that frictional wear of the surface covering is eliminated and the load upon the cleaner motor is correspondingly reduced.-

Referring again to the drawings, and to Fig- 25 ures 1 'to 5 inclusive in particular, a rotary agitator constructed in accordance with the presentA invention is' shown embodied lin a modern suction cleaner. The suction cleaner comprises anozzle I which is interiorly connected to a 30 -fanchamber 2 within which is positioned a ro'- tating suction-creating -fan 3. Above the fan chamber 2 is positioned a motor casing 4 which houses an unshown driving motor for the fan 3,v the shaft E of which extends downwardly from the casing 4, through the fan chamber 2, and into the passageway connecting `with the nozzle l. The' cleaner Vis suitably supported upon frontand rear wheels B, 6 and 6a, 6a, respectively. A handle I is pivoted tothe mav 40 chine and makes it possible for the operator tov propel the cleaner over the surfacecovering undergoing cleaning. Within the nozzle I is positioned an agitator indicated generally by the reference character I. Agitator is suitably driven by the motor shaft 5 by the power-transmitting belt 0 in a common and-.well known 4The partshereinbefore described are common in suction cleaner-sand inn'operation func- 50 tion as follows:

The unshown driving Amotor causes suctioncreating fan sito rotate and tor'zreate esuctionfi I which is eil'ective within 'the' nozzle l. This reduced pressure causes vthe surfacefcovering po- 55 2 `4 l asser/os air intothe nome between the lips and the- 5 surface covering functions to remove much of the embedded foreign matter in the surface covering. The rotating agitator 8 within the nozale', driven by the belt 9 from the motor shaft 5, contacts the lifted surface covering between l0 the nozzle lips, and, lthrough being provided with rigid beating elements and brush elements, functions to vibrate and brush the surface covering, and to dislodge therefrom embedded foreign matter which is removed by the inrushlng air into the nozzle and carried to the fan chamber from which it passes into an unshown dust bag in a common and well known manner. The present-invention comprises the improved construction of .the agitator 8 which l is so designed that it performs its cleaning function with maximum efficiency and minimum covering wear. f

Referring now to Figures 2 to 5 inclusive in particular, the specific structure of the first embodiment of the agitator is shown. The body of agitator 8 is an elongated cylindrical member `=which is formed centrally with a circumferential'pulley surface I0. The cylindrical body of agitator 8 is rotatively supported at its ends upon a longitudinally extending stationary shaft II by means of bearings I2 which are seated in the removable end walls I3 of the body. The opposite ends ofl the agitator are identical, and one end is illustrated in Figure 2. The extremities of the shaft II are threaded and a nut It secures the bearing in place in its seat in the end wall I3.

A thread guard I5 is carried by nut I4 and overhangs the end of cylindrical body 8 to prevent the accumulation of foreign matter in and around the bearing; The bodymf the agitator 8 upon each side of the centrally located pulley surface I0 is provided with a rigid cylindrical beater elenent I8 and a flexible brush element I'I. These elements are circumferentially spaced around the 45.body 8 and extend partially within the normal contour of the bodyin seats ,I B, I8.

Beater element IB is a rigid cylindrical mem- .ber which is mounted upon the rotatable longitudinally extending shaft I9 which is seated at its ends within bearings 20 and 2I`, the former being positioned in the center or pulley end of the seat while the latter is carried by the removable end j-wall I3. Bester element I6 is geared to the stationary, non-rotating shaft I I by means of a gear I Atrain comprising a gear 22j carried by its own shaft If a large diameter stationary gear 22 mounted upon shaft II, and an intermediate gear l2l carried by the end wall I3 which transmits 4power between the first two mentioned gears. Asagitating element Itis carried by the agitator body'y around the shaft: II 'as acenter.

in the rotation of the agitator.' it is clear, as isv readily seen in Figure 3, that asv g'ear 24 rolls around stationary gear 23, it will-impart to gear '65 v22 a rotation which will cause its exposed surface,

abovethe normal surface of agitator 8, to move opposite `to the direction of*l movement of -theagitator surface. At the outermost point of element Il, that element is stationary at any 4given instant, the speed o f rotation ofl element I 8 about its own center cancelling'thespeed of rotation of the -agitator 8 about the common cenv ter II. By a correct choice of ratios ih the 'gears 22, 23 and 24, the relativeispeed of element I( 75' cante controlled and that element at its outerpivoted upon the agitator end plate Iv 21 most point can have a slight forward movement with the agitator il, can stand still'relative to the surrounding and adjacent surface covering being contacted, or can have a positive movement opposed to the direction of movement of agitator 5 l of beater element I8, brush I1 is rotatably mounted upon a supporting shaft I9 carried by bearings 2D and 2I and the brush is geared vto the stationary shaft II in the manner of the beater 15 element Il. It is not necessary tlrat the speed of rotation of brush I1 about its own center be identical with the speed of rotation of beater ele-` ment I6. As inthe case of the beater element the speed'and direction of movement of the brush 20 at its surface contacting portion can be controlled by the proper selection of gears.

In the case of both the rotating beater element and the rotating brush element, the surface covering undergoing cleaning is lifted into contact 25 therewith and is depressed thereby. The individual rotation of these elements relative to the agitator body in no way decreases their effectiveness as means to displace vertically the surface covering undergoing cleaning for the purpose of so v ratio of the gears connecting the elements tothe 40 stationary shaft. e

Referring now to Figure 6 in particular, a modiiied embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in which the rotating brush elements have been eliminated from the agitator and the 5 rigid beater elements IQ are relied upon wholly to perform the agitating function. In this enibodiment as inthe former, theagitator Il is power driven and rotates upon its own shaft il through the'action of connecting gears as illusto tratediii Figure 3.

Referring now to Figures 7 and 8, the third preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated. :In this embodiment the surface-contacting elements are again rotated about their own t5 axes, but the gears 22, 2l and 24 have been replaced by a friction drive vin which a grooved wheel 28 is mounted upon the element shaft I! and a large diameter grooved wheelA 2s is mounted upon and carriedby stationary agitator shaft a0 Il. An intermediate wheel ill isformedwitha rim adaptedto seat within .thel grooves :of vwheels 28 and '29 and is itselfmountedppgn-.a vver ll pressed into contact with` wh ls .zbyfra-.v-,torsion g5 spring I2 at the pivot point of the lever. 1p-The exactlyiike the previous embodimen1 -lciaimr operation of embodiment ofthe invention is suction cleaner, 'a rotatablegcylindrlcal agitator body adapted to be rotated about an axis parallel to a surface covering undergoing cleaning; means to support saidV body for rotationfaboutitsmaior axis and parallel to the plane of a surface Acovcr- 15 ing undergoing cleaning, a surface-agitating`element extended radially beyond said body attho side thereof adapted to contact a surface covering undergoing cleaning lpositioned below said body in certain angular positions of said body, and means mounting said element for rotation with said body about :the axis of rotation thereof and also for rotation about an axis radially from, means mounting said element for rotation about an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of said body, a stationary friction wheel connected to the means to mount said body, a wheel connected to said element, and a rthird wheel connected to said rotatable body spring-pressed into contact with said two first-mentioned wheels, said wheels causing said elementto rotate upon its own axis upon rthe rotation of said body.

3. `In a suction cleaner rotary agitator, a rotatable body, a surface-agitating element extended radially beyond the adjacent portions of said body, means mounting said element for movement of the surface-contacting lportion thereof relative to vsaid body, and means to movesaid element to impart to the surface-contacting portion thereof a speed equal and opposite to its circumferential speed resulting from the rotation of said body. y

4. An agitator for a suction cleaner comprising a rotatable body, a stationary support therefor to support said `body for rotation about a horizontal axis, a surface agitating 'element rotatably mounted in said body and adapted to make surface contact in certain angular positions of said body at the side thereof, and means jcooperati118 With Said body. Support and element to cause positively a relative rotational movement betweensaid element and said body when said body is rotated to reduce the surface-contacting speed of said element.

5. In an agitator for a suction cleaner. a body, a support on which said body is adapted to be moimted for rotation about an axis parallel to the plane of a surface covering undergoing cleaning, an agitating element seat in the surface of said body, a surface agitating element rotatably mounted in said seat and projecting therefrom, the axes of rotation of the body and element being parallel. a gear train cooperating with the body, the support therefor and the surface contasting element to cause rotation of the said element when said -body is rotated to reduce the surface-contacting speed of said element.

6. In a rotary surface-contacting agitator for suction cleaners, a cylindrical body formed with an elongated recessed seat in its cylindrical surface, an elongated surface-agitating element partially positioned in said seat and extended ra-l dially beyond said body, said element being mounted for rotation about'an axis parallel to the major axis of said body. means to'mount said body for rotation about said maior axis, meansmounting said element for rotation in said seat about an axis parallel to the major axis of 'said body with a minimum frictional resistance,

a stationary gear positioned within said body,

and a gear rotatable with said element and op-` eratively connected .to said stationary Sear to impart rotation to said element upon rotation of said body to reduce the surface-contacting speed to the outermost portions of said element.

7. A rotary surface covering agitator comprising a body rotatable about a longitudinal axis, a rigid surface-agitating element extended radially beyond said body, means mounting said element for rotation relative to said body about an axis parallel to and radially spaced from the axis of rota-tion of said body, and means to rotate saidrigid surface-contacting element relative to said body and in .the opposite direction to reduce'the peripheral speed of said element about the axis of agitator rotation. l f

8. A rotary surface covering agitator comprising a body rotatable about a longitudinal axis, a

cylindrical flexible surface-.agitating element extended radially beyond said body relative to said axis, means mounting said element for rotation relative to said body about an axis parallel to and radially spaced from the axis of rota-tion of said body, and means to rotate said element relative to said body and ini the opposite direction to reduce the peripheral speed of said element about the axis of agitator rotation.

'cHaRLns- H. TAYLOR. 

